their beestes flee to house and they that regarded not the worde of the Lorde left their servauntes and their beestes in the felde And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses stretche forth thine hande vnto heauen that there may be hayle in all the lande of Egipte apoÌ maÌ aÌd beest aÌd apoÌ all the herbes of the felde in the feld of Egipte And Moses stretched out his rodd vnto heauen and the Lorde thondered and hayled so that the fyre ran a longe vppon the grounde And the Lorde so hayled in the loÌde of Egipte that there was hayle aÌd fyre meÌgled with the hayle so greuous that there was none soch in all the londe of Egipte sence people inhabited it And the hayle smote in the londe of Egipte all that was in the felde both man and beest And the hayle smote all the herbes of the feld and broke all the trees of the felde only in the lande of Gosan where the children of israell were was there no hayle And Pharao sent aÌd called for Moses and Aaron and sayde vnto theÌ I haue now synned the Lorde is rightwes and I and my people are weked Praye ye vnto the Lorde that the thonder of God and hayle maye cease and I will let you goo and ye shall tarie no longer And Moses sayde vnto him assoone as I am out of the citie I will sprede abrode my handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder shall ceasse nether shall there be any moare hayle that thou mayst knowe howe that the erth ys the Lordes But I knowe that thou and thy servauntes yet feare not the Lord God The flaxe aÌd the barly were smytteÌ for the barly was shott vp aÌd the flaxe was boulled but the where and the rye were not smeten for they were late sowne And Moses went out of the citie froÌ Pharao aÌd sprede abrode his handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder and hayle ceased nether rayned it any moare vppon the erth wheÌ Pharao sawe that the rayne and the hayle and thunder were ceased he synned agayn aÌd hardened his herte both he and his servauntes So was the herte of Pharao hardened that he wolde not let the children of Israel goo as the Lord had sayde by Moses ¶ The .x. Chapter THe Lorde sayde vnto Moses goo vnto Pharao neuerthelesse I haue hardened his harte and the hertes of his servauntes that I mighte shewe these my sygnes amongest theÌ and that thou tell in the audience of thy sonne and of thy sonnes sonne the pagiantes which I haue played in Egipte aÌd the miracles which I haue done amonge them that ye may knowe how that I am the Lorde Than Moses aÌd Aaron went in vnto Pharao and sayde vnto him thus sayth the Lorde God of the Hebrues how longe shall it be or thou wilt submyt thy selfe vnto me Let my people goo that they maye serue me Yf thou wilt not let my people goo beholde tomorow will I brynge greshoppers in to thy lande and they shall couer the face of the erth that it can not be sene aÌd they shall eate the residue which remayneth vnto you and escaped the hayle and they shall eate all youre grene trees vpon the felde and they shall fill thy housses and all thy servauntes housses and the housses of all the EgiptiaÌs after soch a maner as nether thy fathers nor thy fathers fathers haue sene sence the tyme they were apon the erthe vnto thys daye And he turned him silfe aboute aÌd went out from Pharao And Pharaos servauntes sayde vnto hym Howe longe shall this felowe thus plage vs Let the men goo that they maye serue the Lorde their God or els wilt thou see Egipte first destroyed And than Moses and Aaron were broughte agayn vnto Pharao and he sayde vnto them Goo and serue the Lorde youre God but who are they that shall goo And Moses answered we must goo with yonge and olde ye and with oure sonnes and with oure doughters aÌd with oure shepe and oxeÌ must we goo For we must holde a feast vnto the Lorde And he sayde vnto them shall it be soo The Lorde be with you shulde I lett you goo and youre children also Take heede for ye haue so me myschefe in honde Nay not so but goo ye that are men and serue the Lorde for that was youre desyre And they thrust theÌ out of Pharaos presence And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses Stretch out thine hande ouer the lande of Egipte for greshoppers that they come apon the lande of Egipte and eate all the herbes of the londe aÌd all that the hayle left vntouched And Moses stretched forth his rodd ouer the londe off Egipte aÌd the Lorde brought an east wynde vppoÌ the lande all that daye and all nyghte And in the mornynge the east wynde broughte the greshoppers aÌd the greshoppers weÌt vp ouer all the lande of Egipte and lighted in all quarters off Egipte verye greuously so that before them were there no soch greshoppers nether after them shal be And they couered all the face of the erth so that the londe was darke therwith And they ate all the herbes of the lande and all the frutes of the trees which the hayle had lefte so that there was no grene thinge lefte in the trees and herbes of the felde thorow all the lande of Egipte Then Pharao called for Moses and AaroÌ in haste and sayde I haue synned agaynst the Lorde youre God and agaynst you Forgeue me yet my synne only this once and pray vnto the Lorde youre God that he maye take away froÌ me this deth only And he weÌt out froÌ Pharao aÌd prayd vnto the Lorde aÌd the Lord turned the wynde in to a myghtie stronge west wynde and it toke awaye the greshoppers and cast theÌ in to the reed see so that there was not one greshopper left in all the costes of Egipte But the Lorde hardened Pharaos herte âo that he wold not let the childern off Israel goo And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses Stretch out thy hond vnto heaueÌ aÌd let there be darcknesse vppon the londe of Egipte eueÌ that thei maye feale the darcknesse And Moses stretched forth his hande vnto heaueÌ aÌd there was a darke myst vppoÌ all the lande off Egipte iij dayes longe so that no maÌ sawe another nether rose vp froÌ the place where he was by the space of .iij. dayes but all the childreÌ of Israel had lighte where they dwelled Then Pharao called for Moses and sayde goo and serue the Lorde only let youre shepe and youre oxen abyde but let youre childern go with you And Moses answered thou must geue vs also offringes and burntoffringes for to sacrifice vnto the Lord oure God Oure ca tell therfore shall goo with vs and there shall not one hoosâe be left behinde for therof must we take to serue the Lorde oure God Moreouer we caÌnot knowe wherwith we shall serue the Lorde vntyll we come thither But the Lorde hardened Pharaos herte so that he wold not
face of the old maÌ aÌd dread thy god for I am the Lorde Yf a straunger so foure by the in youre lande se that ye vexe him not But let the straunger that dwelleth with you be as one of youre selues and loue him as thiselfe for ye were straungers in the lande of Egipte I am the Lorde youre God Ye shall do no vnrightuousnes in iudgemeÌt nether in meteyerde weyght or measure But ye shal haue true balaÌces true weightes A true Epha aÌd a true hin I am the Lorde youre god which broughte you out of the land of Egipte that ye shulde obserue all myne ordinaunces and iudgementes and that ye shulde kepe them I am the Lorde ¶ The. xx Chapter ANd the Lorde talked with Moses saynge tell the childern of Israel whosoeuer he be of the childern of Israel or of the straungers that dwel in Israel that geueth of his seed vnto Moloch he shall dye for it the people off the lande shall stone hiÌ with stones And I wil sett my face apon that felowe and will destroye him from amonge his people because he hath geuen of his seed vnto Moloch for to de file my sanctuary and to polute myne holy name And though that the people of the lande If we transgr esse gods commaundemeÌtes we may happelye escape â ordlye iudges but we caÌnot avoid the firse wrath of god but it wil surely find vs out hyde their eyes from that felowe when he geueth of his seed vnto Moloch so that they kyll him not yet I will put my face apon that man and apon his houssholde and will destroy him and all that goo a whooringe with him and coÌ mytt hoordome with Moloch from amonge their people Yf any soule turne vnto them that worke with spirites or makers of dysemall dayes and goo a whoorynge after them I wilt put my face apon that soule and will destroye him from amonge his people Sanctifie youre selues therfore and be holye for I am the Lorde youre God And se that ye kepe myne ordinaunces and doo them For I am the Lorde which sanctifie you Whosoeuer curseth his father or mother shall dye for it his bloude on his heed because he hath cursed his father or mother He that breaketh wedlocke with another mans wife shall dye for it because he hath broke wedlocke with his neghbours wife and so shall she likewise Yf a man lye with his fathers wife aÌd vncouer his fathers secrettes they shall both dye for it their bloude be apon their heedes Yf a man lye with his doughter in lawe thei shall dye both of them they haue wrought abhominacion their bloud vpon their heedes Yf a man lye with the mankynde after the maner as with womaÌ kynd they haue both coÌmitted an abhominacion and shall dye for it Their bloude be apon their heed Yf a man take a wife aÌd hir mother thereto it is wekednesse MeÌ shall burne with fire both him and them that there be no wekednesse amonge you Yf a man lye with a beest he shall dye and ye shall slee the beest Yf a womaÌ go vnto a beest aÌd lye doune the reto thou shalt kyll the womaÌ aÌd the beest also they shal dye aÌd their bloud be apoÌ their hedes Yf a maÌ take his syster his fathers doughter or his mothers doughter aÌd se hir secrettes and she se his secrettes also it is a weked thinge Therfore let them perish in the syghte of their people he hath sene his systers secretnesse he shall therfore bere his synne Yf a man lye with a woman in tyme of hyr naturall disease and unheale hir secrettes and vncouer hir fountayne aÌd she also open the fountayne of hir bloude they shall both perishe from amonge their people Thou shalt not vncouer the secrettes of thy mothers syster nor of thy fathers systers for he that doth so vncouereth his nexte kyn aÌd thei shall bere their mysdoynge Yf a maÌ lye with his vncles wife he hath vncouered Thei small dye immediatly aÌd not âaây the byrth as Iuda wolâ haue burnt Thamar beinge great ââ ita childe his vncles secrettes they shall bere their synne and shall dye childlesse Yf a maÌ take his brothers wife it is an vnclene thinge he hath vncouered his brothers secrettes they shal be childlesse therfore Se that ye kepe therfore all myne ordinaunces and all my iudgementes and that ye doo them that the londe whether I brynge you to dwell therein spewe you not oute And se that ye walke not in the maners of the nacyons whiche I cast oute before you For they commytted all these thinges and I abhorred them But I haue sayde vnto you that ye shall enioye their londe and that I will geue it vnto you to possesse it eueÌ a londe that floweth with milke and honye I am the Lord youre God whiche haue separated you from other nacions that ye shulde put difference betwene cleane beestes add vncleane and betwene vncleane foules and them that are cleane Make not youre soules therfore abhominable with beestes aÌd foules and with all maner thinge that crepeth apon the grounde which I haue separated vnto you to holde them vncleane Be holy vnto me for I the Lorde am holy and haue seuered you from other nacyons that ye shulde be myne Yf there be maÌ or womaÌ that worketh with a sprite or a maker of dysemall dayes thei shall dye for it MeÌ shall stone them with stones aÌd their bloude shal be apon them ¶ The .xxj. Chapter ANd the Lorde sayde vnto Moses speake vnto the preastes the sonnes of Aaron and saye vnto them A preast shall defile him selfe at the deth of none of his people but apon his kyn that is nye vnto him as his mother father sonne doughter and brother and on his syster as loÌge as she is a mayde aÌd dwelleth nye him and was neuer geuen to man on her he maye defile him selfe But he shall not make him selfe vncleane vpon a ruelar of his people to polute him selfe with all They shall make theÌ no baldnesse apon their Of the hetheÌ preastes therfore toke our prelates the ensample off their balde pateâ heedes or shaue off the lockes of their beerdes nor make any markes in their flesh Thei shal be holy vnto their God aÌd not polute the name of their god for the sacrifices of the Lorde aÌd the bred of their God thei do offer therfore they must be holy Thei shall take no wife that is an whoore or poluted or put froÌ hir husbonde for a preast is holy vnto his God Sanctifie him therfore for he offereth vp the bred of God he shal By bred vnderstonde all sode flesh frute or whatsoeuer it be therfore be holy vnto the for I the Lorde whiche sanctifie you am holy Yf a preastes doughter fall to playe the whore she poluteth hir father therfore she shall be burnt with fire He that is the hye preast among his brethern vppon whose heed the anoyntynge oyle was poured
wyle adveÌture without any certayne rule therfore though I haue spoken off them in another place yet lest the boke come not to all mennes handes that shall reade this I will speake off them here also a worde or twayne We had nede to take hede euery where that we be not begyled with false allegories whether they be drawne out of the new testament or the olde ether out of any other storye or off the creatures of the worlde but namely in this boke Here a man had nede to put on all his spectacles and to arme him selfe agenst invisible spretes First allegories proue nothinge and by allegories vnderstonde examples or similitudes borowed of straunge matters and of another thinge than that thou entreatest oft As though circumcysyon be a figure of baptim yet thou canst not proue baptim by circumcysion For this argumeÌt were verye feble the Israelites were circuÌcysed therfore we must be baptised And in like maner though the offering of Isaac were a figure or ensample oft the resurrection yet is this argument nought Abraham wold haue offered Isaac but God delyuered him from deth therfore we shall ryse agayne and so forth in all other But the very vse of allegories is to declare and open a texte that it maye be the better perceaved and vnderstonde As when I haue a cleare texte of Christ and of the apostles that I must be baptysed then I maye borowe an ensample of circumcysion to expresse the nature power and frute or effecte of baptim For as circumcysion was vnto them a comon bagge sygnifienge that they were all sodiars off God to warre his warre and separatinge them from all other nacyons disobedient vnto God euen so baptim is oure comen bagge and sure ernest and perpetuall memoriall that we pertayne vnto Christ and are separated from all that are not christes And as circumcision was a token certifyenge them that they were receaved vnto the fauoure off God and theyr sinner forgeven them even so baptim certefyeth vs that we are wasshed in the bloude of christ aÌd receaued to fauoure for his sake and as circumcysion signifyed vnto theÌ the cuttynge away of theyr awne lustes and sleynge of their fre will as they call it to folowe the will of god even so baptim signyfgeth vnto vs repentaunce and the mortefyinge of oure vnruly meÌbres and body of synne to walke in a new lyffe and so forth And likewyse though that the savinge of Noe and of them that were with him in the shyppe thorow water is a figure that is to saye an ensample and likenesse of baptim as Peter maketh it 1. Petri 3. yet I can not proue baptim therwith saue describe it only for as the sheyppe saved theÌ in the water thorow faith in that they beleved god and as the other that wold not beleve Noe peryshed even so baptim saveth vs thorow the worde of faith which it preacheth when all the world of the vnbelevinge perysh And Paule 1. Corin. 10. maketh the see aÌd the cloude a figure of baptim by which and a thousand mo I might declare it but not proue it Paule also in the sayde place maketh the rocke out of which Moses brought water vnto the childerne of Israel a figure or ensample of christ not to proue christ for that were impossible but to describe christ only even as christ hisilf IohaÌnis 3. boroweth a similitude or figure of the brasen serpent to lead Nichodemus froÌ his erthy imaginacyon in to the spirituall vnderstondinge of christ sayenge As Moses lyftedvpp a serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lifted vpp that none that beleue in him perysh but haue everlastinge liffe by which similitude the vertue of christes deth is better described then thou coudest declare it with a thousande wordes for as those murmurars agenst god as sone as they repented were healed of their deadly woundes thorow lokynge on the brasen serpent only without medicyne or any other helpe yee aÌd without any other reason but that god hath sayed it shuld be so and not to murmoure agayne but to leue their murmuringe even so all that repent aÌd beleue in christ are saved from euerlastinge deth of pure grace without and before their good workes and not to synne agayne but to fight agaynst synne aÌd henceforth to synne no moare Even so with the ceremonyes of this boke thou canst prove nothinge saue describe and declare only the puttyng awaye of oure synnes thorow the deth of christ for christ is Aaron and Aarons sonnes and all that offer the sacrifyce to purge synne And christ is all maneâ offering that is offered he is the oxe the shepe the gote the kyd and lambe he is the oxe that is burnt without the host and the scape gote that caryed all the synne of the people awaye in to the wildernesse for as they purged the people froÌ their wordly vnclennesses thorow bloud of the sacrifices even so doth christ purge vs from the vnclennesses of everlastinge deth with his awne bloude and as their wordly synnes coude no otherwyse be purged then by bloude of sacrifyce even so can oure synnes be no otherwyse forgeven then thorow the bloude of christ All the deades in the world saue the bloude of christ can purchase no forgevenesse of synnes for oure deades do but helpe oure neyghboure and mortefye the flesh aÌd helpe that we synne no moare but and if we haue synned it must be frely forgeven thorow the bloude of christ or remayne ever And in lyke maner of the lepers thou canst prove nothinge thou canst never coniure ouâ confessioÌ thense how be it thou hast an handsome example there to open the bindinge and lowsinge of oure preastes with the kaye of goddes word ⪠for as they made no man a lepre even so oures haue no power to commaunde any man to be in synne or to go to purgatory or hell And therefore in as moch as bindinge and lowsinge is one power As those preastes healed no man even so oures can not of their inviseble and domme power dryve any mannes synnes awaye or delyver hym from hell or fayned purgatorye how be it if they preached gods word purely which is the authorite that christ gaue them then they shuld binde aÌd lowse kylle and make alyve agayne make vncle âne and cleane agayne and send to hell aÌd fett thence agayne so mighty is gods word for if they preached the lawe of god they shuld bind the consciences of synners with the bondes of the paynes of hell and bringe them vnto repeÌtaunce And then if they preached them the mercye that is in christ they shuld lowse them and quiet their raginge consciences and certefie them of the fauoure of god and that their synnes be forgeven Fynallye beware of allegoryes for there is not a moare handsome or apte a thinge to be gile withall then an allegorye nor a more sotle and pestilent thinge in the world to persuade a false